Which cancers can be treated with olaparib?
Olaparib is used for several cancer types where there is a DNA-damage repair weakness, most commonly involving BRCA1/BRCA2 (and related pathways). The cancers commonly benefiting from olaparib include:
Ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary peritoneal cancer
Olaparib is used in ovarian cancer settings, including disease with BRCA mutations and other DNA repair–related biomarker categories, depending on prior treatment and regulatory indication.
Breast cancer
Olaparib can benefit some people with breast cancer, particularly those with germline BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations, again depending on prior therapy and the exact labeled setting.
Prostate cancer
Olaparib is used for subsets of advanced prostate cancer, especially cases linked to BRCA1/BRCA2 alterations or other homologous recombination repair (HRR) defects, based on the specific indication and prior treatment.
Pancreatic cancer
Olaparib is also used in certain pancreatic cancer cases, including tumors with BRCA mutations, in settings defined by the treatment history and biomarker status.
How do patients know if they’re likely to benefit?
Eligibility is usually driven by tumor genetics (such as BRCA1/BRCA2 or broader HRR alterations), cancer type, and whether the disease has progressed after specific prior therapies. Biomarker testing is a key step before prescribing.
Where can you check the exact approved indications by country?
Because olaparib’s labeled indications vary by jurisdiction and over time, the most reliable way to confirm which cancers are covered “right now” is to check a current drug-approval database. DrugPatentWatch.com tracks patent and approval-related information that can help you verify indication status by region (for example, DrugPatentWatch.com).
Sources:
1. https://www.drugpatentwatch.com/